When to show up online (vs. staying offline)
If you’re a maker running a small business—making enamel pins, fashion accessories, cute cat stickers, and more—you know that showing up online matters. On top of creating the designs, distributing your products, and keeping track of your sales, you’re also supposed to post on Instagram, keep up with TikTok, know what’s trending and what algorithm means? Who knew you would have your full-time content creator era?
It’s no surprise that for many makers who already have their hands full and mental bandwidth filled to capacity, showing up online can feel like another job on top of everything. As licensed psychologist Rissa Coronel reminds us in our last anniversary Kapihan Session about protecting our well-being, “it takes a lot to put yourself out there” when you create. And having to be online will also demand something from you. So how do you keep showing up online and when do you know if it’s better to stay offline.
1. Redefine what showing up online means
Common Room and Popjunklove co-founder Maan Agsalud, has said before that “showing up doesn’t always have to mean making another post.” Holding “The Art of Showing Up Online” workshop, Maan asserts that there are low-effort ways to connect with one’s community. The ring light, the mic, and the tripod don’t always have to come out. As she shared in their socials, “Maybe showing up doesn’t always have to mean making another post. Maybe it just means finding small ways to connect that fit your capacity.”
Redefining what showing up online means being able to give yourself grace when it comes to that long to-do list you always have to take on every day. Showing up can simply mean finally replying to that DM from a follower or giving positive feedback to another maker (more ideas, here). For Maan, showing up online is engaging with your community in a way that “they feel seen, heard, or appreciated—no post required.”
2. No, you don’t have to be everywhere
As makers and small business owners, you can’t avoid the digital landscape, but it doesn’t mean you have to explore every corner of it. Between Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and more, it can feel like you need to be everywhere all at once. But being on every platform might not be the best way to reach the people who matter to your business.
If you’ve done a social media plan (and you should do one to assess your goals and come up with a content plan at the very least), you get to know your audience. According to Forbes’ social media marketing guide, it all starts with who you’re trying to reach and meet them where they’re at.
From Roma’s experience, you can also build your plan around what you already have. Look at all the photos, videos, and other content you have saved up in your phone gallery. Consider where they will work best and identify content themes that can help so you’re not constantly scrambling for ideas whenever you need to post.
3. Be aware of what your community needs
During uncertain times and when the world feels particularly heavy, showing up online can come with a little more hesitation. Maan acknowledges that for herself and fellow small business owners in their own social media posts—how posting online or stepping back becomes a real dilemma on those days. Because the reality is, “You care about what’s going on, but the business also needs to keep going,” Maan explains.
For her, there’s no perfect formula. A variable though that you have to consider is “what people need and what you can genuinely offer” right there. Maan asks: Do they need information? Do they need help? Do they simply need something inspiring in their feed? When you’ve taken the time to reframe, build a plan, and know your audience, recognizing what they need becomes more about how you can show up with care.
4. Let your own voice lead
You don’t always have to chase trends. You don’t even always have to follow the plan. As Roma and Maan learned through years of building their community (online and IRL), leading with authenticity is one of the ways they were able to sustain their success. “It’s really knowing who you are as a brand,” says Maan. This means knowing your brand’s perspective, its voice. And in social media, your brand’s voice is more important than what’s trending on TikTok. You can take inspiration from them, but your brand doesn’t have to become something else to make your content work.
As a small business owner, let that work for you. Maan points out that “it’s easier for us to be more transparent with our processes.” She’s seen how raw, haphazardly-shot videos resonate with their followers. “It’s more relatable. People want to see the real stories and real struggles that you have.” Trust what you know, share what matters to you, and let that voice guide how you connect with your community.
There’s no formula or one-size-fits-all solution for showing up online. Because while there might be science and data behind content strategies and plans, there’s also an art to it. It means there’s space for change, creativity, and trying things out. It means there’s room for grace when you sometimes don’t get things right but keep showing up anyway, whether online or not.